"Why do you let her boss you around?" Damon asked after several minutes of quiet.
Neville looked to Damon. "Why shouldn't I?" He asked. There was only one she among the small group, so Neville didn't ask as to who Damon was talking about.
Damon turned and glanced to where Cho disappeared among the steam rising from the pools. "She's a girl. They're emotional and they're weak."
"Weak?" Neville glared at Damon. "She's the one who saved your bloody hide. If it weren't for her you'd be nothing more than a snack for the Beast. Of the three of us here, she's the strongest and bravest one."
XXX
The skittering revealed itself to be something grotesque and definitely not friendly. Not with teeth that sharp and claws that long. It was dog sized, it was smooth skinned, and it let out a shrill cry as it saw Cho. She didn't have to think twice, Cho ran.
XXX
"Oh. I didn't say she wasn't brave. I said she is emotional and she is weak. Everyone can be brave in the right situation. All it takes is knowing that you're going to die and then suddenly you're filled with bravery." Damon grinned. "You get trapped in a corner and that animal part of your mind clicks on. The one that screams for survival and will fight against anything that stands in it's way. Bravery." Damon scoffed.
XXX
The Creature skidded to the edge of the pool and let out another shrill cry. Cho took a glance back and tried to hurry up, but it was almost impossible to try to run half submerged. The water was too shallow to try to swim.
The Creature suddenly leapt. Cho ducked, but realized it wasn't trying to jump upon her. Instead it landed upon the other edge of the pool, directly where she was going. Cho stopped, glancing around. She was directly in the middle of the pool. The creature would be able to beat her to any side. She was also too far away to shout for help.
Cho pulled out her wand. She'd have to deal with this one on her own.
XXX
"As for strength?" Damon laughed. "She wouldn't be able to stand against a monster without your help. That monster in the hall, the Beast, as you call it. She may have killed it, but she needed your help to fight it. You took all the hits, all the pain, and the injuries, while she just waltzed in and took the credit. She smoked that thing after you weakened it. She doesn't have the strength to stand up against a monster by herself."
XXX
"Stupefy!" Cho shouted, but the monster leapt again. This time directly at her. Cho tried dodging, but again the water slowed her movements, it was like trying to dodge in slow motion while the Creature moved in regular speed.
"Stupefy!" Cho cried again, this time catching the creature in the chest. The creature splashed into the water beside her. Cho felt a slice of fire along her right arm causing her to drop her wand and cry out in pain. She felt the all too familiar feeling of blood trickling down her arm.
The creature splashed in the water, it's jaws snapping at Cho. She moved out of the way, nursing her right arm and frantically searching for her wand. The creature seemed to move as easily in the water as it did out. It began circling her, black eyes staring straight at her.
XXX
"If I were you, I'd shut up now." Neville said hotly. He laboriously got to his feet, the room spinning for a moment. "What are you trying to do? Trying to drive wedge between me and Cho? Trying to make me doubt her?"
"Hey, man." Damon smiled disarmingly. "I didn't mean to rile you up. I'm just telling things the way they are."
Neville stared at the man. "What?" He asked dangerously.
Damon grinned disarmingly again, realizing he had just hit a nerve. "Hey, I'm just kidding."
"The way things are?" Neville snarled. "You call her emotional? Just because she cares about things beyond herself? You call her weak when she's the one that saved your life and mine? The one who healed your damn leg?"
"Hey-"
"Quiet." Neville hissed, glaring at Damon. "I may not know Cho as well as others, but from what I've seen the past couple of days. She's braver, stronger, smarter, and more determined than you or me. She fought the Beast and she was hurt by it. She was in terrible pain and she trusted me to heal her. When she got better she didn't give up, she didn't just sit back and try to wait for someone to find us. She went back out and fought the Beast again. She didn't give up, she gave it her all, she fought while you huddle in the Tower pretending to be asleep."
XXX
The creature lunged at Cho. She cocked back her fist and snapped it out as the creature came close. There was a loud smack as flesh hit flesh and Cho gasped out in pain as the impact flared up her arm. The creature let out a yelp and staggered in the water, dazed by the impact.
Ignoring the pain in her hand and having no time to look for her wand, Cho lunged at the creature. Her hands gripped around the neck of the creature. The skin was almost rubbery in the water, her fingers finding purchase on the rough pebbled skin. She interlaced them around it's neck and began to squeeze.
The creature gasped, it's hind legs kicked out at Cho. She gasped in pain as she felt it's claws scraping at her thighs and legs. Grimly she tightened her grip and plunged the head of the creature into the water. It continued to kick, it's struggles become more and more frantic.
Cho let out a snarl and dropped to her knees, pulling the creature down even farther into the water. The hot water enveloped her head and shoulders, but Cho pressed the head of the creature against the marble bottom of the pool, using all her weight to keep it down.
It's legs and claws still kicked and scratched. Cho ignored the pain to her stomach and arms. The struggling became feeble and Cho continued to hold the creature down, until finally it stopped moving all together. It's legs gave one last spasm and the creature went limp. Cho released her grip and rose out of the water, gasping for breath.
XXX
"She can stand up against anything and she won't back down. You think I should doubt her? You think I should try to undermine her? That I should try to take the lead and get us out of here?' Neville scoffed. "You're a bloody idiot. Do you think I would ever give thought to anything you say? You're a cowardly, spineless bastard!"
Neville pointed a finger toward the direction Cho had gone, his voice tight with anger and suppressed rage. "That girl's a far better person than you'll ever be. She's the one who'll get us out of here and I'll gladly follow her and do what she says. She has the strength to get us out of here, no matter what rubbish you speak."
XXX
Her wand was floating mere inches from her hand. Cho looked down and grabbed it, wincing as she extended her right arm. She sighed looking down at the long clean cut that ran from shoulder to elbow. She was getting tired of cuts.
Carefully she walked to the edge of the pools, wincing with every step and cringing at the amount of healing that would have to be done. She hoped that Neville would be up to it. With a groan she pulled herself out of the water and sat upon the edge of the pool panting for breath, her feet still dangling in the water.
She looked down at what had been crystal clear water and saw that it was tinged with pink. Cho sighed, carefully pulling open her tattered robes and wincing again as she saw the damaged the creature had done to her legs. She covered them back up and sighed, suddenly feeling very weary.
Near the center of the pool the creature bobbed in the water. It was almost dog like in it's appearance. Four short muscular legs, a flat face with two pointed ears, and a thin whipcord short tail. She watched it float for a moment and then looked down at her hands.
No wand. No magic. Just an animal need to live. Cho closed her eyes and for some inexplicable reason began to cry.
XXX
"Hey, sorry to have offended your girlfriend." Damon sneered.
Neville sighed. "You don't shut up do you?" He asked wearily.
XXX
"You boys playing nice?" Cho asked as she limped toward them. Neville was sitting against the wall and glaring at Damon. Damon looked toward her, eyes narrowing and began shouting something that definitely sounded like cursing muffled by the gag tied around his mouth. "Should have thought of that sooner." She muttered.
"Find a way-" Neville's jaw dropped and eyes widen as he saw her. "What happened?" He was on his feet, crossing the few feet in moments.
"Had a little unfriendly guest." Cho said weakly. "Don't worry. I just need to sit down. I'll be alright." The world suddenly began to spin and a sudden darkness enveloped her.
XXX
Until Next Chapter!!!